Magic of the Mid-North Coast

NEWCASTLE

This one’s golden. With hourly services from Sydney (you’ll only need $8.30 on your Opal card!), you’ll step off the train and into a beachside wonderland whose relaxed atmosphere you just won’t want to leave. Newcastle YHA will capture your heart and zen your mind with their Stretch and Surf package – a week of unlimited yoga and surfboard hire – not to mention their pizza nights, pub dinners, BBQ Thursdays… You’ll be well fed, well stretched and well on your way to mastering the art of surfing!

PORT STEPHENS 

Just north of Newcastle and totally Opal Card friendly, Port Stephens is the stuff dreams are made of. If you have dreams about hyper-turquoise water and lush, rolling beaches; that is. No Port Stephens trip is complete without a play on the largest moving sand dunes in the Southern Hemisphere – the (in)famous Stockton Sand Dunes. There’s tonnes of 4WD tours that’ll get you feeling like a kid again, and finding sand everywhere for days. Like, everywhere.  

 THESE GUYS HEART YHA MEMBERS!

Port Stephens 4WD Tours – concession rates 

Port Stephens Surf School – 10% off lessons 

Port Stephens Watersports – 10% off 

Murray’s Craft Brewing Co – Free beer and wine tasting + Brewery tour

HUNTER VALLEY 

 

Wine. Duh. 

From Cessnock to Wollombi, the Hunter region boasts the most cellar doors in the entire country, and proves that it doesn’t cost an arm and a leg to get friendly with the vineyards. If you tire of vino (highly unlikely, we know), you can always play with the babies at the Hunter Valley Zoo, meander around on a hired bike or float away on a day spa cloud. Backpacking is hard yakka, and you deserve to treat yo’self. 

Hunter Valley Aviation - $220 flight

Hunter Valley Zoo – 10% off 

Hunter Valley Bike Hire – 20% off 

PORT MACQUARIE 

 

If a visit to a seaside koala hospital to watch 250 magical koalas be nursed to back to health isn’t on your to-do list whilst travelling Oz, it bloody well is now! The Koala Hospital rescues, treats, rehabilitates and organises adoption of injured and abandoned fuzzy creatures, and you can witness the adorable magic whilst staying in the glorious town of Port Macquarie. Prepare to aww.

Port Macquarie Kayak Tours (call 0409 776 566)  – 10% off hire

Port Macquarie Cruise Adventures – 10% off 

 

Who’d’ve thunk that the mid-point between Sydney and Brisvegas would be so gosh darn beautiful? Think green on green on green and serenity that just can’t be beat, and enjoy it from one of the super hipster cafes and shops. 

The winner, though, is a zen-inducing float down the Bellingen River or around one of the swimming holes. Totally free. Totally yours. Totally sold. 

Bellingen Canoe Adventures – 20% off tours

COFFS HARBOUR 

Forget the Big Banana (once you’ve taken your obligatory pic, of course) – we’ve got somethin’ bigger for ya. This super-chill, super-gorgeous town offers unbelievable beaches, unbeatable surf and the greatest vantage point to see whales from both the land and sea. Set up shop at Muttonbird Island Nature Reserve, Coffs Coast Regional Park or the Bongil Bongil National Park and prepare to witness some whale magic! 

Dolphin Marine Magic – 10% off dolphin and seal experiences

YAMBA 

Shane’s Yamba Tour. Give it a Google. We literally couldn’t write better reviews than what’s already been posted by previous victims. We mean participants! Cliff jumping, piranha feeding, beach hopping and belly laughs all day long – get friendly with this phenomenal beach town in a way that only Shane knows how.